[tiamat]

burkeman_

No fooling. How does supporting Isreal relate to backing some of the ME despots?

I know we have done it, but how are the two things related?

Frankly, i am just glad that the government is no longer kissing up to Arrafat the way it had been!

Tia

[Burkeman1]

We back the Saudi Kingship because they keep a lid (or were supposed to) on their extremists. We backed Saddam because he was against Iran. We back Mubarak because if we didn't Eygpt would be ruled by radicals. We praised the military coup that took over in Algeria when an Islamic party won the free election and touched off a violent and brutal Civil War in which over 100,000 have died in 8 years. In short we back bastards and dictators in Arab lands because if we didn't they would be overthrown by fundamentalist regimes that would seek to destroy Isreal. We are to the Mideast what the Soviets were to Central Europe- supporting corrupt unpopular regimes that crush popular national and religious movements.